U.S. patent application number 13/602325 was filed with the patent office on 2013-06-06 for electromagnetic stylus and computer apparatus thereof.
The applicant listed for this patent is Pei-Chen Chin, Chu-Shun Cho, Chuan-Cheng Fu, Ming-Hua Hung, Pin-Hsien Su, Wen-Chin Wu. Invention is credited to Pei-Chen Chin, Chu-Shun Cho, Chuan-Cheng Fu, Ming-Hua Hung, Pin-Hsien Su, Wen-Chin Wu.
Application Number | 20130141399 13/602325 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48523642 |
Filed Date | 2013-06-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130141399 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cho; Chu-Shun ; et
al. |
June 6, 2013 |
ELECTROMAGNETIC STYLUS AND COMPUTER APPARATUS THEREOF
Abstract
An electromagnetic stylus includes a hollow body, a pen-nib
device, an energy transforming device, a circuit board, and an
electricity storage device. The pen-nib device is disposed at one
end of the hollow body. The energy transforming device is disposed
in the hollow body for converting variations in a physical quantity
into electrical signals. The circuit board is disposed in the
hollow body and electrically connected to the energy transforming
device for rectifying the electrical signals transformed by the
energy transforming device. The electricity storage device is
disposed in the hollow body and electrically connected to the
pen-nib device, for receiving the electrical signals transmitted
from the circuit board to generate electrical energy and providing
the electrical energy to the pen-nib device to generate
electromagnetic signals.
Inventors: |
Cho; Chu-Shun; (New Taipei
City, TW) ; Chin; Pei-Chen; (New Taipei City, TW)
; Wu; Wen-Chin; (New Taipei City, TW) ; Su;
Pin-Hsien; (New Taipei City, TW) ; Hung;
Ming-Hua; (New Taipei City, TW) ; Fu;
Chuan-Cheng; (New Taipei City, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Cho; Chu-Shun
Chin; Pei-Chen
Wu; Wen-Chin
Su; Pin-Hsien
Hung; Ming-Hua
Fu; Chuan-Cheng |
New Taipei City
New Taipei City
New Taipei City
New Taipei City
New Taipei City
New Taipei City |
|
TW
TW
TW
TW
TW
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
48523642 |
Appl. No.: |
13/602325 |
Filed: |
September 4, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
345/179 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/046 20130101;
G06F 1/1626 20130101; G06F 3/03545 20130101; G06F 3/0383 20130101;
G06F 2200/1632 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/179 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/033 20060101
G06F003/033 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 2011 |
TW |
100144801 |
Claims
1. An electromagnetic stylus comprising: a hollow body; a pen-nib
device disposed at one end of the hollow body; an energy
transforming device disposed in the hollow body for converting
variations in a physical quantity into electrical signals; a
circuit board disposed in the hollow body and electrically
connected to the energy transforming device for rectifying the
electrical signals transformed by the energy transforming device;
and an electricity storage device disposed in the hollow body and
electrically connected to the pen-nib device and the circuit board,
for receiving the electrical signals transmitted from the circuit
board to generate electrical energy and providing the electrical
energy to the pen-nib device to generate electromagnetic
signals.
2. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 1, wherein the energy
transforming device comprises: a coil electrically connected to the
circuit board; and a magnet movably disposed through the coil for
moving back and forth relative to the coil so as to make the coil
generate the electrical signals.
3. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 2, wherein the energy
transforming device further comprises first and second
piezoelectric films respectively disposed on the hollow body
corresponding to two ends of the coil and electrically connected to
the circuit board, for receiving impact of the magnet to generate
the electrical signals.
4. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 2, wherein the energy
transforming device further comprises at least one buffer member
disposed on at least one end of the magnet.
5. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 4, wherein the buffer member
is a rubber buffer pad or a spring.
6. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 2 further comprising: a cap
disposed on another end of the hollow body opposite to the pen-nib
device for containing the energy transforming device, the circuit
board, and the electricity storage device with the hollow body.
7. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 1, wherein the energy
transforming device comprises: an energy generating motor
electrically connected to the circuit board and having a rotating
shaft; a mass disposed on the rotating shaft; and a friction cover
disposed on the mass and rotatably disposed on another end of the
hollow body opposite to the pen-nib device, for driving the mass to
rotate with the rotating shaft, so as to make the energy generating
motor generate the electrical signals.
8. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 7, wherein the friction
cover is made of material with a high friction coefficient.
9. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 1, wherein the energy
transforming device comprises: an energy generating motor
electrically connected to the circuit board and having a rotating
shaft; and an eccentric mass disposed on the rotating shaft, and
the energy generating motor being used for generating the
electrical signals by utilizing the eccentric mass to rotate the
rotating shaft or by rotating relative to the eccentric mass via
the rotating shaft with rotation of the hollow body.
10. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 9 further comprising: a cap
disposed on another end of the hollow body opposite to the pen-nib
device, for containing the energy transforming device, the circuit
board, and the electricity storage device with the hollow body.
11. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 1, wherein the energy
transforming device comprises: a support base disposed on the
hollow body; at least one first piezoelectric strip disposed on the
support base and electrically connected to the circuit board; and
at least one mass disposed on a top end of the first piezoelectric
strip, for driving the first piezoelectric strip to swing relative
to the support base to generate the electrical signals.
12. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 11, wherein the energy
transforming device further comprises: at least one elastic strip
disposed on the support base and located at least one side of the
first piezoelectric strip, for providing elastic force to the mass
so as to increase the swing times of the first piezoelectric
strip.
13. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 12, wherein the elastic
strip is disposed on the support base in a manner of bending
outwardly relative to the first piezoelectric strip.
14. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 12, wherein the elastic
strip is made of elastic piezoelectric material and electrically
connected to the circuit board.
15. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 11, wherein the energy
transforming device further comprises: at least one second
piezoelectric strip disposed on the support base, electrically
connected to the circuit board, and located on at least one side of
first piezoelectric strip for receiving impact of the mass, so that
the second piezoelectric strip swings relative to the support base
together with the first piezoelectric strip to generate the
electrical signals.
16. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 11, wherein the hollow body
has a sliding slot formed thereon, the energy transforming device
further comprises a push button, and the push button is connected
to the support base and movably disposed on the sliding slot for
pushing the support base along the sliding slot to make the first
piezoelectric strip and the mass protrude from the hollow body or
contained in the hollow body.
17. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 11 further comprising: a
cap disposed on another end of the hollow body opposite to the
pen-nib device for containing the energy transforming device, the
circuit board, and the electricity storage device with the hollow
body.
18. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 1, wherein the energy
transforming device comprises a thermal energy conversion chip, the
hollow body comprises a heat absorbing casing, a heat dissipating
casing, and a heat insulation ring, the pen-nib device is disposed
on a first end of the heat absorbing casing, the heat insulation
ring is disposed between a second end of the heat absorbing casing
and the heat dissipating casing for preventing the heat absorbing
casing from contacting the heat dissipating casing, and the thermal
energy conversion chip is electrically connected to the circuit
board and connected between the heat absorbing casing the heat
dissipating casing for absorbing thermal energy generated by
temperature difference between the heat absorbing casing and the
heat dissipating casing to generate the electrical signals.
19. The electromagnetic stylus of claim 1, wherein the electricity
storage device is a capacitance device.
20. A computer apparatus comprising: a computer module comprising:
a casing having a containing slot; a host device disposed in the
casing; at least one heat dissipating sheet disposed on the host
device; and a heat conductive strip disposed on the heat
dissipating sheet; and an electromagnetic stylus detachably
disposed in the containing slot, the electromagnetic stylus
comprising: a hollow body comprising: a heat dissipating casing; a
heat absorbing casing for contacting the heat conductive strip when
the electromagnetic stylus is disposed in the containing slot, so
as to receive thermal energy transmitted from the heat dissipating
sheet via the heat conductive strip; and a heat insulation ring
disposed on the heat absorbing casing and the heat dissipating
casing for preventing the heat absorbing casing from contacting the
heat dissipating casing; a pen-nib device disposed on an end of the
heat absorbing casing; a thermal energy conversion chip disposed
between the heat absorbing casing and the heat dissipating casing,
for absorbing thermal energy generated by temperature difference
between the heat absorbing casing and the heat dissipating casing
to generate electrical signals; a circuit board disposed in the
hollow body and electrically connected to the thermal energy
conversion chip for rectifying the electrical signals transformed
by the thermal energy conversion chip; and an electricity storage
device disposed in the hollow body and electrically connected to
the pen-nib device and the circuit board, for receiving the
electrical signals transmitted from the circuit board to generate
electrical energy and providing the electrical energy to the
pen-nib device to generate electromagnetic signals.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an electromagnetic stylus,
and more specifically, to an electromagnetic stylus having an
energy transforming device capable of converting variations in a
physical quantity into electrical signals.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] A conventional electromagnetic stylus is to utilize an
electromagnetic induction method for performing touch operations.
Generally, the electromagnetic stylus is an electromagnetic signal
transmitting terminal and an electromagnetic sensor in a touch
panel is an electromagnetic signal receiving terminal. When the
electromagnetic stylus approaches the touch panel, the touch panel
can calculate a touch position of the electromagnetic stylus
according to variation of magnetic flux sensed by the
electromagnetic sensor. Technology of driving the electromagnetic
stylus to generate electromagnetic signals may be divided into two
types: a passive induction method and an active induction
method.
[0005] The major advantage of the passive induction method is that
there is no need to install a battery into the electromagnetic
stylus. The passive induction method involves utilizing a resonance
circuitry in the electromagnetic stylus to receive and store
alternating electromagnetic energy emitted by an antenna of a
digital panel, and then transmit corresponding electromagnetic
signals back to the digital panel for positioning of the
electromagnetic stylus. However, the energy transforming efficiency
between the digital panel and the electromagnetic stylus is lower
than 0.5%.
[0006] On the other hand, the active induction method involves
installing a battery into the electromagnetic stylus to provide the
electromagnetic stylus with sufficient electrical energy for
emitting electromagnetic signals. Accordingly, the electromagnetic
stylus can actively emit electromagnetic signals to an X/Y-axis
antenna array on a digital panel for positioning. However, in the
active induction method, the volume and weight of the
electromagnetic stylus may be increased due to installation of the
battery. Furthermore, the battery changing operation may also cause
a user much inconvenience.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides an electromagnetic stylus
including a hollow body, a pen-nib device, an energy transforming
device, a circuit board, and an electricity storage device. The
pen-nib device is disposed at one end of the hollow body. The
energy transforming device is disposed in the hollow body for
converting variations in a physical quantity into electrical
signals. The circuit board is disposed in the hollow body and
electrically connected to the energy transforming device for
rectifying the electrical signals transformed by the energy
transforming device. The electricity storage device disposed in the
hollow body and electrically connected to the pen-nib device and
the circuit board, for receiving the electrical signals transmitted
from the circuit board to generate electrical energy and providing
the electrical energy to the pen-nib device to generate
electromagnetic signals.
[0008] The present invention further provides a computer apparatus
including a computer module and an electromagnetic stylus. The
computer module includes a casing, a host device, at least one heat
dissipating sheet, and a heat conductive strip. The casing has a
containing slot. The host device is disposed in the casing. The
heat dissipating sheet is disposed on the host device. The heat
conductive strip is disposed on the heat dissipating sheet. The
electromagnetic stylus is detachably disposed in the containing
slot. The electromagnetic stylus includes a hollow body, a pen-nib
device, a thermal energy conversion chip, a circuit board, and an
electricity storage device. The hollow body includes a heat
dissipating casing, a heat absorbing casing, and a heat insulation
ring. The heat absorbing casing is for contacting the heat
conductive strip when the electromagnetic stylus is disposed in the
containing slot, so as to receive thermal energy transmitted from
the heat dissipating sheet via the heat conductive strip. The heat
insulation ring is disposed on the heat absorbing casing and the
heat dissipating casing for preventing the heat absorbing casing
from contacting the heat dissipating casing. The pen-nib device is
disposed on an end of the heat absorbing casing. The thermal energy
conversion chip is disposed between the heat absorbing casing and
the heat dissipating casing, for absorbing thermal energy generated
by temperature difference between the heat absorbing casing and the
heat dissipating casing to generate electrical signals. The circuit
board is disposed in the hollow body and electrically connected to
the thermal energy conversion chip for rectifying the electrical
signals transformed by the thermal energy conversion chip. The
electricity storage device is disposed in the hollow body and
electrically connected to the pen-nib device and the circuit board,
for receiving the electrical signals transmitted from the circuit
board to generate electrical energy and providing the electrical
energy to the pen-nib device to generate electromagnetic
signals.
[0009] These and other objectives of the present invention will no
doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after
reading the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an electromagnetic stylus according
to a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a sectional diagram of the electromagnetic stylus
in FIG. 1 along a sectional line A-A'.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a diagram of an electromagnetic stylus according
to a second embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a sectional diagram of the electromagnetic stylus
in FIG. 3 along a sectional line B-B'.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a diagram of an electromagnetic stylus according
to a third embodiment of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a sectional diagram of the electromagnetic stylus
in FIG. 5 along a sectional line C-C'.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a diagram of an electromagnetic stylus according
to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a diagram of the electromagnetic stylus in FIG. 7
when an energy transforming device is contained in a hollow
body.
[0018] FIG. 9 is a diagram of a computer apparatus according to a
fifth embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 10 is an inner diagram of the computer apparatus in
FIG. 9.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a sectional diagram of an electromagnetic stylus
in FIG. 10 along a sectional line D-D'.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a diagram of an
electromagnetic stylus 100 according to a first embodiment of the
present invention. The electromagnetic stylus 100 includes a hollow
body 102, a pen-nib device 104, a cap 106, an energy transforming
device 108, a circuit board 110, and an electricity storage device
112. The hollow body 102 is depicted briefly by dotted lines in
FIG. 1 for clearly displaying inner components of the
electromagnetic stylus 100. The pen-nib device 104 and the cap 106
are disposed on two ends of hollow body 102 respectively for
containing the inner components (e.g. the energy transforming
device 108, the circuit board 110, and the electricity storage
device 112) of the electromagnetic stylus 100 cooperatively with
the hollow body 102. The circuit board 110 is disposed in the
hollow body 102 and electrically connected to the energy
transforming device 108. The circuit board 110 is used for
rectifying electrical signals transformed by the energy
transforming device 108, in other words, converting alternative
currents generated from the energy transforming device 108 into
direct currents. The electricity storage device 112 is disposed in
the hollow body 102 and electrically connected to the pen-nib
device 104 and the circuit board 110. The electricity storage
device 112 is used for receiving the electrical signals transmitted
from the circuit board 110 to generate electrical energy and
providing the electrical energy to the pen-nib device 104 to
generate electromagnetic signals. The electricity storage device
112 can be a capacitance device. As for the signal emitting design
of the pen-nib device 104, its related description is commonly seen
in the prior art and therefore omitted herein for simplicity.
[0022] In this embodiment, the energy transforming device 108 is
used for transforming dynamic energy into the electrical signals.
More detailed description for the energy transforming design of the
energy transforming device 108 is provided as follows. Please refer
to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a sectional diagram of the
electromagnetic stylus 100 in FIG. 1 along a sectional line A-A'.
The energy transforming device 108 is disposed in the hollow body
102. The energy transforming device 108 includes a coil 114, a
magnet 116, a first piezoelectric sheet 118, and a second
piezoelectric sheet 120. The coil 114 is electrically connected to
the circuit board 110. The magnet 116 is movably disposed in the
coil 114 for moving back and forth relative to the coil 114 to make
the coil 114 generate the electrical signals. The first
piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120 are
disposed on the hollow body 102 corresponding to two ends of the
coil 114. The first piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second
piezoelectric sheet 120 are made of conventional piezoelectric
material (e.g. Pb(ZrTi)O.sub.3, PZT) with a high piezoelectric
coupling coefficient and a dielectric constant. When the
piezoelectric material receives an external stress or a deformation
stress, polarization may occur within and then an electric field or
electric displacement may be generated accordingly between two
conductive surfaces of the piezoelectric material. As a result, the
surface of the piezoelectric material starts to produce induced
charges so that the piezoelectric material may generate the
electrical signals. In other words, the first piezoelectric sheet
118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120 can be used for
receiving impact of the magnet 116 (i.e. an external stress) to
generate the electrical signals.
[0023] Furthermore, for preventing damage of the first
piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120 due
to excessive impact of the magnet 116, the energy transforming
device 108 can further include at least one buffer member 122. In
this embodiment, the energy transforming device 108 can include two
buffer members 122 respectively disposed on two ends of the magnet
116. The buffer member 122 can be a rubber buffer pad, but not
limited thereto, meaning that the buffer member 122 can be other
component having a buffer function, such as a spring. Accordingly,
the buffer member 122 can provide a buffer function when the magnet
116 hits the first piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second
piezoelectric sheet 120, so as to prevent damage of the first
piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120. To
be noted, if the energy transforming device 108 utilizes the design
in which the buffer member 122 is a spring, the buffer member 122
can further provide the magnet 116 with elastic force to move back
and forth in the coil 114 more rapidly during the process of the
magnet 116 hitting the first piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second
piezoelectric sheet 120, so that the energy generating efficiency
of the energy transforming device 108 can be increased
accordingly.
[0024] Via the said disposition, when a user wants to recharge the
electromagnetic stylus 100, the user just needs to shake the
electromagnetic stylus 100 upward and downward to make the magnet
116 move back and forth relative to the coil 114 and hit the first
piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120.
When the magnet 116 moves back and forth relative to the coil 114,
the magnet 116 drives the coil 114 to generate the electrical
signals due to variation of magnet flux of the coil 114.
Furthermore, when the magnet 116 hits the first piezoelectric sheet
118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120, the first piezoelectric
sheet 118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120 can generate the
electrical signals accordingly.
[0025] In summary, via the design in which the magnet 116 moves
back and forth relative to the coil 114 and hits the first
piezoelectric sheet 118 and the second piezoelectric sheet 120, the
coil 114, the first piezoelectric sheet 118, and the second
piezoelectric sheet 120 can provide the electrical signals to the
circuit board 110 continuously. After the circuit board 110
rectifies the received electrical signals, the electrical signals
generated by the coil 114, the first piezoelectric sheet 118, and
the second piezoelectric sheet 120 can be converted from
alternative current signals into direct current signals and then
transmitted to the electricity storage device 112 so as to generate
the electrical energy. Accordingly, when the user wants to use the
electromagnetic stylus 100 for touch operations, the electricity
storage device 112 can provide the pen-nib device 104 with the
electrical energy to generate electromagnetic signals. In such a
manner, via the design in which the energy transforming device 108
transforms dynamic energy into electrical signals and the said
shaking operation, the electromagnetic stylus 100 can generate
electrical energy by itself without additional installation of a
battery, so as to achieve the purpose of reducing the volume and
weight of the electromagnetic stylus 100 and omitting the
subsequent battery changing operation. Thus, convenience of the
electromagnetic stylus 100 in use can be improved.
[0026] Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a diagram of an
electromagnetic stylus 200 according to a second embodiment of the
present invention. The electromagnetic stylus 200 includes a hollow
body 202, a pen-nib device 204, an energy transforming device 206,
a circuit board 208, and an electricity storage device 210. The
hollow body 202 is depicted briefly by dotted lines in FIG. 3 for
clearly displaying inner components of the electromagnetic stylus
200. In this embodiment, since the structures of the hollow body
202, the pen-nib device 204, the circuit board 208, and the
electricity storage device 210 are similar to the structures of the
hollow body 102, the pen-nib device 104, the circuit board 110, and
the electricity storage device 112, the related description is
omitted herein for simplicity. Thus, only the energy transforming
design of the energy transforming device 206 is described in
details as follows.
[0027] Please refer FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a sectional
diagram of the electromagnetic stylus 200 in FIG. 3 along a
sectional line B-B'. The energy transforming device 206 is disposed
in the hollow body 202. The energy transforming device 206 includes
an energy generating motor 212, a mass 214, and a friction cap 216.
The energy generating motor 212 is electrically connected to the
circuit board 208 and has a rotating shaft 218 for generating
electrical signals by electromagnetic induction in a manner of
rotating the rotating shaft 218. The mass 214 is disposed on the
rotating shaft 218. The friction cap 216 is disposed on the mass
214 and rotatably disposed on another end of the hollow body 202
opposite to the pen-nib device 204 for driving the mass 214 to
rotate the rotating shaft 218, so as to drive the energy generating
motor 212 to generate the electrical signals. The friction cap 216
is made of material having a high friction coefficient (e.g.
rubber), but not limited thereto.
[0028] Via the said disposition, when a user wants to recharge the
electromagnetic stylus 200, the user just needs to utilize the
friction cap 216 to scratch a planar surface (e.g. a tabletop) back
and forth. Accordingly, friction force generated between the
friction cap 216 and the planar surface can drive the mass 214 to
rotate the rotating shaft 218, so as to make the energy generating
motor 212 generate the electrical signals. Since the rotating
inertia of the mass 214 can increase the rotating times of the
rotating shaft 218, the mass 214 can further improve the energy
generating efficiency of the energy transforming device 206. To be
noted, the mass 214 can be an omissible component for simplifying
the mechanical design of the energy transforming device 206.
Subsequently, after the circuit board 208 rectifies the received
electrical signals, the electrical signals generated by the energy
generating motor 212 can be converted from alternative current
signals into direct current signals and then transmitted to the
electricity storage device 210 so as to generate electrical energy.
Accordingly, when the user wants to use the electromagnetic stylus
200 for touch operations, the electricity storage device 210 can
provide the pen-nib device 204 with the electrical energy to
generate electromagnetic signals.
[0029] In such a manner, via the design in which the energy
transforming device 206 transforms dynamic energy into electrical
signals and the said scratching operation, the electromagnetic
stylus 200 can generate electrical energy by itself without
additional installation of a battery, so as to achieve the purpose
of reducing the volume and weight of the electromagnetic stylus 200
and omitting the subsequent battery changing operation. Thus,
convenience of the electromagnetic stylus 200 in use can be
improved.
[0030] Please refer to FIG. 5, which is a diagram of an
electromagnetic stylus 300 according to a third embodiment of the
present invention. The electromagnetic stylus 300 includes a hollow
body 302, a pen-nib device 304, a cap 306, an energy transforming
device 308, a circuit board 310, and an electricity storage device
312. The hollow body 302 is depicted briefly by dotted lines in
FIG. 5 for clearly displaying inner components of the
electromagnetic stylus 300. In this embodiment, since the
structures of the hollow body 302, the pen-nib device 304, the cap
306, the circuit board 310, and the electricity storage device 312
are similar to the structures of the hollow body 102, the pen-nib
device 104, the cap 106, the circuit board 110, and the electricity
storage device 112, the related description is omitted herein for
simplicity. Thus, only the energy transforming design of the energy
transforming device 308 is described in details as follows.
[0031] Please refer FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a sectional
diagram of the electromagnetic stylus 300 in FIG. 5 along a
sectional line C-C'. The energy transforming device 308 is disposed
in the hollow body 302. The energy transforming device 308 includes
an energy generating motor 314 and an eccentric mass 316. The
energy generating motor 314 is electrically connected to the
circuit board 310 and has a rotating shaft 318 for generating
electrical signals by electromagnetic induction in a manner of
rotating the rotating shaft 318. The eccentric mass 316 is disposed
on the rotating shaft 318. Accordingly, the energy generating motor
314 can generate the electrical signals by utilizing the eccentric
mass 316 to drive the rotating shaft 318 or rotating relative to
the eccentric mass 316 via the rotating shaft 318 with rotation of
the hollow body 302.
[0032] Via the said disposition, when a user wants to recharge the
electromagnetic stylus 300, the user just needs to push the
electromagnetic stylus 300 to roll on a holding planar/inclined
surface (e.g. a tabletop). During this process, since the eccentric
mass 316 can hold still due to the gravity while the hollow body
302 is rotating, the energy generating motor 314 can generate the
electrical signals by rotating relative to the eccentric mass 316
via the rotating shaft 318 with rotation of the hollow body 302.
Besides, the user can also keep rotating the electromagnetic stylus
300 toward the same direction. At this time, the eccentric mass 316
can drive the rotating shaft 318 to rotate due to centrifugal
force, so as to make the energy generating motor 314 generate the
electrical signals.
[0033] In such a manner, via the design in which the energy
transforming device 308 transforms dynamic energy into the
electrical signals and the said rolling or rotating operation, the
electromagnetic stylus 300 can generate electrical energy by itself
without additional installation of a battery, so as to achieve the
purpose of reducing the volume and weight of the electromagnetic
stylus 300 and omitting the subsequent battery changing operation.
Thus, convenience of the electromagnetic stylus 300 in use can be
improved.
[0034] Please refer to FIG. 7, which is a diagram of an
electromagnetic stylus 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the
present invention. The electromagnetic stylus 400 includes a hollow
body 402, a pen-nib device 404, a cap 406, an energy transforming
device 408, a circuit board 410, and an electricity storage device
412. The hollow body 402 is depicted briefly by dotted lines in
FIG. 7 for clearly displaying inner components of the
electromagnetic stylus 400. In this embodiment, since the
structures of the hollow body 402, the pen-nib device 404, the cap
406, the circuit board 410, and the electricity storage device 412
are similar to the structures of the hollow body 102, the pen-nib
device 104, the cap 106, the circuit board 110, and the electricity
storage device 112, the related description is omitted herein for
simplicity. Thus, only the energy transforming design of the energy
transforming device 408 is described in detail as follows.
[0035] Please refer FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram of the
electromagnetic stylus 400 in FIG. 7 when the energy transforming
device 408 is contained in the hollow body 402. The energy
transforming device 408 can protrude from the hollow body 402 or be
contained in the hollow body 402. The energy transforming device
408 includes a support base 414, at least one first piezoelectric
strip 416 (two shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 respectively), at least
one mass 418 (one disposed on each first piezoelectric strip 416 in
FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 respectively), at least one second piezoelectric
strip 420 (two shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 respectively), at least
one elastic strip 422 (two shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8
respectively), and a push button 424.
[0036] The support base 414 is disposed in the hollow body 402. The
first piezoelectric strip 416 is disposed on the support base 414
and electrically connected to the circuit board 410. The mass 418
is disposed on a top end of the first piezoelectric strip 416 for
driving the first piezoelectric strip 416 to swing relative to the
support base 414 to generate electrical signals. In this
embodiment, the elastic strip 422 is disposed on the support base
414 in a manner of bending outwardly relative to the first
electromagnetic strip 416 (as shown in FIG. 7) and located at two
sides of the first electromagnetic strip 416 for providing elastic
force to the mass 418, so that the swing times of the first
piezoelectric strip 418 can be increased accordingly. The second
piezoelectric strip 420 is disposed on the support base 414,
electrically connected to the circuit board 410 and located between
the first piezoelectric strip 416 and the elastic strip 422 for
receiving impact of the mass 418. In such a manner, the second
piezoelectric strip 420 can be swing relative to the support base
414 together with the first piezoelectric strip 416, so as to
generate the electrical signals. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7
and FIG. 8, in this embodiment, a sliding slot 426 is formed on the
hollow body 402 corresponding to the push button 424. The push
button 424 is connected to the support base 414 and movably
disposed on the sliding slot 426 for pushing the support base 414
along the sliding slot 426, so as to make the first piezoelectric
strip 416, the mass 418, the second piezoelectric strip 420, and
the elastic strip 422 protrude from the hollow body 402 (as shown
in FIG. 7) or be contained in the hollow body 402 (as shown in FIG.
8).
[0037] Via the said disposition, when a user has no need to utilize
the electromagnetic stylus 400, the user can just push the push
button 424 to move along the sliding slot 426, so as to drive the
support base 414 to move to a position as shown in FIG. 8.
Accordingly, the first piezoelectric strip 416, the mass 418, the
second piezoelectric strip 420, and the elastic strip 422 can be
contained in the hollow body 402 (as shown in FIG. 8) for
convenient storage or carrying.
[0038] On the other hand, when the user wants to recharge the
electromagnetic stylus 400, the user just needs to push the push
button 424 to move along the sliding slot 426, so that the support
base 414 can be moved from the position as shown in FIG. 8 to a
position as shown in FIG. 7. Accordingly, the first piezoelectric
strip 416, the mass 418, the second piezoelectric strip 420, and
the elastic strip 422 can protrude from the hollow body 402 (as
shown in FIG. 7). At this time, the elastic strip 422 can be
changed from a contained state as shown in FIG. 8 to an extended
state as shown in FIG. 7 by its elastic characteristic.
[0039] Subsequently, the user can shake the electromagnetic stylus
400 leftward and rightward for utilizing the mass 418 to drive the
first piezoelectric strip 416 to swing correspondingly, and then,
to drive the second piezoelectric strip 420 to swing with the first
piezoelectric strip 416 after the mass 418 hits the second
piezoelectric strip 420. Accordingly, the said deformation of the
first piezoelectric strip 416 and the second piezoelectric strip
420 can make the first piezoelectric strip 416 and the second
piezoelectric strip 420 generate the electrical signals.
Furthermore, during said process of the mass 418 driving the first
piezoelectric strip 416 and the second piezoelectric strip 420 to
swing leftward and rightward, the elastic strip 422 can provide the
mass 418 with elastic force when the mass 418 hits the elastic
strip 422, so that the mass 418 can swing back and forth between
the elastic strips 422 more quickly. In such a manner, the swinging
times of the first piezoelectric strip 416 and the second
piezoelectric strip 420 can be increased so as to improve the
energy generating efficiency of the energy transforming device
408.
[0040] To be noted, for further improving the energy generating
efficiency of the energy transforming device 408, the elastic strip
422 can be made of elastic piezoelectric material and electrically
connected to the circuit board 410. Thus, the elastic strip 422 can
generate the electrical signals accordingly after receiving the
stress exerted by the mass 418.
[0041] In such a manner, via the design in which the energy
transforming device 206 transforms dynamic energy into the
electrical signals and the said shaking operation, the
electromagnetic stylus 200 can generate electrical energy by itself
without additional installation of a battery, so as to achieve the
purpose of reducing the volume and weight of the electromagnetic
stylus 400 and omitting the subsequent battery changing operation.
Thus, convenience of the electromagnetic stylus 400 in use can be
improved.
[0042] It should be mentioned that the design of making the energy
transforming device protrude from the hollow body is not limited to
the said embodiment. Instead, the present invention can also
utilize the design in which the energy transforming device is fixed
into the hollow body and the cap is slidable along the hollow body
to expose or contain the energy transforming device. As for the
sliding design in which the cap is slidable along the hollow body,
its description is commonly seen in the prior art and therefore
omitted herein. Furthermore, number of the first piezoelectric
strips 416, the second piezoelectric strips 420, and the elastic
strip 422 is not limited to the said embodiment and depends on the
practical application of the electromagnetic stylus 400.
[0043] In the present invention, the energy transforming design of
the energy transforming device is not limited to the design of
transforming dynamic energy into electrical signals mentioned in
the said embodiments. Instead, the present invention can also
utilize the design in which the energy transforming device is a
thermal energy conversion chip for transforming thermal energy into
electrical signals. Please refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. FIG. 9 is a
diagram of a computer apparatus 500 according to a fifth embodiment
of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an inner diagram of the
computer apparatus 500 in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10,
the computer apparatus 500 includes a computer module 502 and an
electromagnetic stylus 504. The computer module 502 can be a
conventional desktop computer or portable computer (e.g. a notebook
or a tablet computer). For example, the computer module 502 is
depicted as a notebook in FIG. 9. The computer module 502 includes
a casing 506, a host device 508, at least one heat dissipating
sheet 510 (one shown in FIG. 10), and a heat conductive strip 512.
The casing 506 has a containing slot 514 for the electromagnetic
stylus 504 to be detachably contained therein. The host device 508
can include common components installed in a computer, such as a
motherboard and a central processing unit (CPU). The related
description is omitted herein since it is commonly seen in the
prior art. The heat dissipating sheet 510 is disposed on the host
device 508 for heat dissipation. The heat conductive strip 512 is
disposed on the heat dissipating sheet 510 for dissipating thermal
energy of the host device 508 absorbed by the heat dissipating
sheet 510.
[0044] More detailed description for the energy transforming design
of the electromagnetic stylus 504 is provided as follows. Please
refer to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a sectional diagram of the
electromagnetic stylus 504 in FIG. 10 along a sectional line D-D'.
The electromagnetic stylus 504 includes a hollow body 516, a
pen-nib device 518, a thermal energy conversion chip 520, a circuit
board 522, and an electricity storage device 524. The hollow body
516 includes a heat dissipating casing 526, a heat absorbing casing
528, and a heat insulation ring 530. The heat absorbing casing 528
is used for contacting the heat conductive strip 512 when the
electromagnetic stylus 504 is contained in the containing slot 514,
so as to absorb the thermal energy of the host device 512
transmitted by the heat conductive sheet 510. The heat absorbing
casing 528 is made of material having a high heat absorbing
efficiency (e.g. metal or carbon). The heat dissipating casing is
made of material having a high heat dissipating efficiency (e.g.
metal). The heat insulation ring 530 is disposed on the heat
absorbing casing 528 and the heat dissipating casing 526 for
preventing the heat absorbing casing 528 from contacting the heat
dissipating casing 526, so as to cause a temperature difference
between the heat absorbing casing 528 and the heat dissipating
casing 526.
[0045] The pen-nib device 518 is disposed on an end of the heat
absorbing casing 528. The thermal energy conversion chip 520 is
disposed between the heat absorbing casing 528 and the heat
dissipating casing 526 for transforming the thermal energy caused
by the temperature difference between the heat absorbing casing 528
and the heat dissipating casing 526 into electrical signals. The
thermal energy conversion chip 520 utilizes the Seedbeck effect to
perform transformation between thermal energy and electrical
signals, and the related description is omitted herein since it is
commonly seen in the prior art. The circuit board 522 is disposed
in the hollow body 516. To be more specific, as shown in FIG. 11,
the circuit board 522 is disposed in the heat absorbing casing 528,
but is not limited thereto. The circuit board 522 is also
electrically connected to the thermal energy conversion chip 520
for rectifying the electrical signals transformed by the thermal
energy conversion chip 520. The electricity storage device 524 is
disposed in the heat absorbing casing 528 of the hollow body as
shown in FIG. 11 (but not limited thereto) and electrically
connected to the pen-nib device 518 and the circuit board 522. The
electricity storage device 524 is used for receiving the electrical
signals transmitted from the circuit board 522 to generate
electrical energy and providing the pen-nib device 518 with the
electrical energy to generate electromagnetic signals. The
electricity storage device 524 can be a capacitance device.
[0046] Via the said disposition, when a user wants to recharge the
electromagnetic stylus 504, the user just needs to insert the
electromagnetic stylus 504 into the containing slot 514. At this
time, as mentioned above, the heat absorbing casing 528 contacts
the heat conductive strip 512 to absorb the thermal energy of the
heat dissipating sheet 510 via the heat conductive strip 512, so
that the temperature of the heat absorbing casing 528 can be
increased accordingly. Via the said heat absorbing design and the
design in which the heat insulation ring 530 prevents the heat
absorbing casing 528 from contacting the heat dissipating casing
526, a considerable temperature difference may occur between the
heat absorbing casing 528 and the heat dissipating casing 526. In
such a manner, the thermal energy conversion chip 520 can generate
the electrical signals by the said temperature difference between
the heat absorbing casing 528 and the heat dissipating casing
526.
[0047] In such a manner, via the design in which the thermal energy
conversion chip 520 transforms thermal energy into electrical
signals and the said recharging operation, the electromagnetic
stylus 504 can generate electrical energy by itself without
additional installation of a battery, so as to achieve the purpose
of reducing the volume and weight of the electromagnetic stylus 504
and omitting the subsequent battery changing operation. Thus,
convenience of the electromagnetic stylus 504 in use can be
improved.
[0048] To be noted, the recharging operation of the electromagnetic
stylus 504 is not limited to the said embodiment. Instead, the
present invention can utilize other heating design to increase the
temperature of the heat absorbing casing 528, such as holding the
heat absorbing casing 528 by the user's hand.
[0049] Compared with the prior art, the present invention utilizes
the design in which the energy transforming device for converting
variations in a physical quantity into electrical signals is
disposed in the electromagnetic stylus, to make the electromagnetic
stylus capable of generating electrical energy by itself without
additional installation of a battery. In such a manner, the purpose
of reducing the volume and weight of the electromagnetic stylus and
omitting the subsequent battery changing operation can be
accordingly achieved, so as to improve convenience of the
electromagnetic stylus in use.
[0050] Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous
modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made
while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the
above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes
and bounds of the appended claims.
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